Is there any decency left?

During the 2016 campaign, our 45th president once promised that he would be “so presidential that it will be boring.”

If only. Instead, he has managed to irk even his Republican allies by wallowing in the muck of name-calling, yet again, belittling a woman for her looks.

Morning Joe host Mika Brzezinski, 45 tweeted, was still “bleeding from her facelift” when he saw her during the New Year’s holiday. He also disparaged Brzezinski’s intelligence and poked fun at her co-host Joe Scarborough.

Dozens of Republicans, including leaders like House Speaker Paul Ryan, have scolded the president on his language in the June 29 tweets. Some have used terms like “civility” and “decency” to distance themselves from his comments.

Easy to criticize
It is easy to scold this president on the indecent ways he speaks to, and of, women. It is easy to shake one’s head at his juvenile tweets.

Certainly, our president has the temperament of an unruly 8-year-old (and that is unkind to 8 year olds). But we can spend so much time wondering about this president’s temperament that we can forget about his abhorrent policy initiatives that are far more dangerous than his mindless tweets.

At the same time that 45 is attacking cable news hosts, the Senate is considering a health care plan that “repeals” the Affordable Care Act. There is no civility or decency in advocating for a health care plan that would leave more than 22 million people uninsured. There is nothing civil or decent in the president suggesting that Obamacare be repealed, even if there is no replacement for it.

Pay attention!
So while many hours of television time will be spent excoriating 45 for his silly tweets, far more should be spent dealing with health care, employment creation, and prison reform.

All eyes are on the president and his poison pen. I’m not so sure that’s a good thing. We should be equally concerned about other policy actions that are happening even as 45 is clowning on the public stage. He wakes up in the morning to send out mindless tweets, but his minions – who are neither tweeting nor clowning – are working to roll back our civil and voting rights.

Are decent Republicans an endangered species? Certainly, some Republicans will step up when 45 crosses the line on civility with his unhinged tweets. Too many others are silent in the face of misogynistic tweets and inhumane public policy. Because they have placed partisanship over common humanity, they have been silent in the face of draconian public policy, especially around health care.

Those who have stood up, such as Nevada Senator Dean Heller, have attracted the ire of the big-money alt-Trump regime – deep-pocketed PAC funders who have attempted to bully Heller into supporting Trumpcare. Indeed, those Republicans who have bucked the 45 machine have found themselves unfairly attacked to intimidate others into silence.

Veterans deported
While 45 is tweeting insanity, immigrants who are honorably discharged veterans are being deported. They joined the armed services and served our country because they are patriots, but also because they were promised citizenship in return for their service. Is there no decency?

While 45 is doing his best imitation of a schoolyard bully, school administrators nationwide are looking at the ways Trumpcare would affect poor children and pushing back on the horrible legislation. Both Democratic and Republican governors are appalled at the ways Medicaid cuts will hurt their constituents, but 45 is too busy tweeting to deal with his natural allies in the states.

Just the beginning
Forty-five’s tweets are simply the tip of the iceberg. They illustrate a lack of decency that is worse that the incivility of name-calling. The indecency and incivility in this administration is as much about flawed and inhumane public policy as juvenile name-calling.

In criticizing 45’s decency, let’s keep our eyes on the prize. Our president is not just a clueless buffoon; he is a dangerous and clueless buffoon. We should focus on the danger more than the cluelessness.

Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer. Her latest book, “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy,” is available at www.juliannemalveaux.com.

1 COMMENT

The problem that is so apparent to me is that it is quite obvious the Republican party cares nothing about the future of America. It wasn’t keen on its past either. It cares nothing about Education/Hunger/Social Security/The Environment or Health Care. If Republicans did care there is no way in hell they would put up with the dangerous antics of “45”. One can speak about the grace, class and intelligence of 44 without any arguments; but if he were to carry on in the same manner as “45” there would be hell to pay from the Republican Party.